# 2023 North Dakota State Bison softball team

The 2023 North Dakota State Bison softball team was an American college softball team that represented North Dakota State University during the 2023 NCAA Division I softball season. The Bison were led by Darren Mueller in his twenty-second season, and played their home games at Tharaldson Park. They competed in the Summit League. The Bison finished the regular season in third place in the conference and claimed the three seed in the 2023 Summit League softball tournament. NDSU beat Kansas City on day 1, but lost to Omaha and South Dakota State on day 2 to be eliminated before the semifinals for the third year in a row.

## Previous Season

The Bison finished the 2022 season with a 30-23 record, and a 10-8 record in Summit League play. NDSU played in the Summit League tournament as the 3rd seed. They defeated North Dakota and Omaha, before falling to South Dakota State and then Omaha in the elimination game to end their season in the semifinals.

## Schedule

2023 North Dakota State Bison softball game log :
Regular Season (29–19) :
February (6–8) :
| Date Time | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall Record | Summit League Record |
| February 10 10 AM | vs. California Baptist | Nancy Almaraz Field Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | 4–0 | Vargas (1–0) | Mcconnell (0–1) | None | 203 | 1–0 | – |
| February 11 12:30 PM | vs. BYU | Nancy Almaraz Field | 1–10$^{(5)}$ | Temples (1–0) | Lyle (0–1) | None | 248 | 1–1 | – |
| February 12 8:30 AM | vs. No. 24 Oregon | Nancy Almaraz Field | 3–4 | Hansen (1–0) | Vargas (1–1) | None | 378 | 1–2 | – |
| February 12 1:30 PM | vs. Maryland | Nancy Almaraz Field | 2–4 | Schlotterbeck (1–0) | Lyle (0–2) | Bucher (1) | 275 | 1–3 | – |
| February 13 12 PM | vs. No. RV Ole Miss | Nancy Almaraz Field | 0–8$^{(5)}$ | Vestal (1–0) | Reed (0–1) | None | 125 | 1–4 | – |
| February 13 2:30 PM | vs. No. RV Ole Miss | Nancy Almaraz Field | 3–5 | Furbush (1–0) | Vargas (1–2) | None | 125 | 1–5 | – |
| February 16 3 PM | vs. Sacramento State | Nancy Almaraz Field | 4–1 | Vargas (2–2) | Bertuccio (0–1) | None | 185 | 2–5 | – |
| February 17 10 AM | vs. Southern Illinois | Nancy Almaraz Field | 5–3 | Lyle (1–2) | Eberle (0–1) | Vargas (1) | 185 | 3–5 | – |
| February 17 12:30 PM | vs. No. 11 Tennessee | Nancy Almaraz Field | 0–8$^{(6)}$ | Pickens (1–0) | Lyle (1–3) | None | 122 | 3–6 | – |
| February 18 3 PM | vs. Cal State Fullerton | Nancy Almaraz Field | 2–1 | Vargas (3–2) | Sutherlin (0–1) | None | 185 | 4–6 | – |
| February 24 10 AM | vs. Merrimack | Jane B. Moore Field Auburn, AL | Cancelled - Weather Preventing Travel | Cancelled - Weather Preventing Travel | Cancelled - Weather Preventing Travel | Cancelled - Weather Preventing Travel | Cancelled - Weather Preventing Travel | 4–6 | – |
| February 25 10 AM | vs. Brown | Jane B. Moore Field | 6–0 | Vargas (4–2) | Aguirre (0–1) | None | | 5–6 | – |
| February 25 3 PM | at No. 20 Auburn | Jane B. Moore Field | 0–9$^{(6)}$ | Penta (8–0) | Lyle (1–4) | None | | 5–7 | – |
| February 26 9 AM | vs. Brown | Jane B. Moore Field | 2–0 | Lyle (2–4) | Guevara (0–2) | None | | 6–7 | – |
| February 26 12 PM | at No. 20 Auburn | Jane B. Moore Field | 0–4 | Lowe (1–0) | Vargas (4–3) | Penta (1) | 1,440 | 6–8 | – |
March (13–3) :
| Date Time | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall Record | Summit League Record |
| March 3 12:30 PM | vs. Drake | Tigers Softball Complex Memphis, TN | Canceled, Rain | Canceled, Rain | Canceled, Rain | Canceled, Rain | Canceled, Rain | 6–8 | – |
| March 3 5 PM | vs. UTSA | Tigers Softball Complex | 2–3 | Smith (1–5) | Vargas (4–4) | Estell (1) | 217 | 6–9 | – |
| March 4 9 AM | vs. SIU-Edwardsville | Tigers Softball Complex | 9–1 | Lyle (3–4) | Ray (1–5) | Vargas (2) | 147 | 7–9 | – |
| March 4 2 PM | at Memphis | Tigers Softball Complex | 15–4 | Vargas (5–4) | Hoschak (0–1) | None | 273 | 8–9 | – |
| March 5 11:30 AM | vs. UTSA | Tigers Softball Complex | 7–4 | Lyle (4–4) | Estell (2–4) | Reed (1) | 150 | 9–9 | – |
| March 10 2 PM | vs. Idaho State | US Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN | 9–3 | Lyle (5–4) | Newman (2–2) | None | | 10–9 | – |
| March 10 7 PM | at Minnesota | US Bank Stadium | 0–2 | Pease (6–3) | Vargas (5–5) | None | 1,096 | 10–10 | – |
| March 11 11:30 AM | vs. Drake | US Bank Stadium | 7–2 | Williams (1–0) | Bedsworth (0–3) | None | | 11–10 | – |
| March 12 11:30 AM | vs. Idaho State | US Bank Stadium | 4–1 | Vargas (6–5) | McMurray (0–2) | None | | 12–10 | – |
| March 12 2 PM | vs. Drake | US Bank Stadium | 4–2 | Lyle (6–4) | Hupke (3–3) | None | | 13–10 | – |
| March 14 4 PM | at No. RV Mississippi State | Nusz Park Mississippi State, MS | 2–0 | Vargas (7–5) | Faapito (2–1) | None | 146 | 14–10 | – |
| March 15 2 PM | vs. Purdue | Nusz Park | 1–2 | Echazarreta (5–6) | Lyle (6–5) | None | 112 | 14–11 | – |
| March 16 4 PM | vs. Purdue | Nusz Park | 4–0 | Vargas (8–5) | Pinarski (1–1) | None | 53 | 15–11 | – |
| March 18 10:30 AM | vs. Samford | Nusz Park | 7–1 | Reed (1–1) | Bond (3–4) | None | 57 | 16–11 | – |
| March 25 12 PM | at Kansas City | Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex Kansas City, MO | 10–0$^{(5)}$ | Vargas (9–5) | Stickel (0–1) | None | | 17–11 | 1–0 |
| March 25 2 PM | at Kansas City | Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex | 4–1 | Lyle (7–5) | Noble (2–7) | None | 121 | 18–11 | 2–0 |
| March 26 11 AM | at Kansas City | Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex | 11–1$^{(5)}$ | Vargas (10–5) | Milan (0–4) | None | 87 | 19–11 | 3–0 |
April (9–6) :
| Date Time | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall Record | Summit League Record |
| April 1 3 PM | at Western Illinois | Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium Macomb, IL | 5–6$^{(8)}$ | Rodriguez (4–7) | Reed (1–2) | None | 147 | 19–12 | 3–1 |
| April 2 10 AM | at Western Illinois | Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium | 1–0 | Lyle (8–5) | Rodriguez (4–9) | None | 89 | 20–12 | 4–1 |
| April 2 12 PM | at Western Illinois | Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium | 13–4$^{(5)}$ | Vargas (11–5) | Price (3–8) | None | 89 | 21–12 | 5–1 |
| April 7 4 PM | vs. South Dakota Series Relocated – Weather | Bowden Field Sioux Falls, SD | 0–8 | Edwards (10–6) | Vargas (11–6) | None | 99 | 21–13 | 5–2 |
| April 8 2 PM | vs. South Dakota | Bowden Field | 2–0 | Lyle (9–5) | Wedeking (6–9) | None | 108 | 22–13 | 6–2 |
| April 8 4 PM | vs. South Dakota | Bowden Field | 5–4 | Vargas (12–6) | Edwards (10–7) | None | 108 | 23–13 | 7–2 |
| April 16 3 PM | at South Dakota State | Jackrabbit Softball Stadium Brookings, SD | 0–4 | Kniesche (16–4) | Vargas (12–7) | None | 150 | 23–14 | 7–3 |
| April 17 11 AM | at South Dakota State | Jackrabbit Softball Stadium | 3–12$^{(5)}$ | Lasey (10–6) | Lyle (10–5) | None | 149 | 23–15 | 7–4 |
| April 17 1 PM | at South Dakota State | Jackrabbit Softball Stadium | 0–1 | Kniesche (17–4) | Vargas (12–8) | None | 149 | 23–16 | 7–5 |
| April 22 12 PM | at St. Thomas | South Field St. Paul, MN | 5–0 | Vargas (13–8) | Cook (3–6) | None | 250 | 24–16 | 8–5 |
| April 22 2 PM | at St. Thomas | South Field | 9–0$^{(6)}$ | Lyle (11–5) | True (0–1) | None | 250 | 25–16 | 9–5 |
| April 23 11 AM | at St. Thomas | South Field | 6–2 | Lyle (12–5) | Murphy (2–11) | None | 75 | 26–16 | 10–5 |
| April 29 12 PM | North Dakota | Tharaldson Park Fargo, ND | 8–5 | Vargas (14–8) | Carr (6–10) | None | 222 | 27–16 | 11–5 |
| April 29 2 PM | North Dakota | Tharaldson Park | 4–2 | Lyle (12–6) | Albrecht (2–15) | None | 222 | 28–16 | 12–5 |
| April 30 11 AM | North Dakota | Tharaldson Park | 3–4 | Albrecht (3–15) | Vargas (14–9) | Lasota (3) | 153 | 28–17 | 12–6 |
May (1–2) :
| Date Time | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall Record | Summit League Record |
| May 5 12 PM | Omaha | Tharaldson Park Fargo, ND | 1–7 | Meyer (14–7) | Vargas (14–10) | None | 255 | 28–18 | 12–7 |
| May 5 2 PM | Omaha | Tharaldson Park | 2–3$^{(10)}$ | Nuismer (13–7) | Lyle (12–7) | None | 255 | 28–19 | 12–8 |
| May 6 11 AM | Omaha | Tharaldson Park | 3–0 | Vargas (15–10) | Flanagan (1–1) | None | 206 | 29–19 | 13–8 |
Post-Season (1–2) :
Summit League Tournament (1–2) :
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | Attendance | Overall Record | Summit League Tournament record |
| May 10–11 4:30 PM | vs. (6) Kansas City Played across 5/10-5/11 | (3) | Jackrabbit Softball Stadium Brookings, SD | 3–0 | Vargas (16–10) | Noble (3–14) | None | 143 | 30–19 | 1–0 |
| May 11 2:30 PM | vs. (2) Omaha | (3) | Jackrabbit Softball Stadium | 1–5 | Meyer (15–7) | Vargas (16–11) | None | 273 | 30–20 | 1–1 |
| May 11 5 PM | at (1) South Dakota State | (3) | Jackrabbit Softball Stadium | 2–10$^{(5)}$ | Lasey (15–6) | Lyle (12–8) | None | 254 | 30–21 | 1–2 |
Win  Loss  PostponementBold: Bison team memberReference: Rankings from NFCA:(#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.All times in Central Time Zone :